It’s never too early or too late to start thinking about how you can set your child up for educational and career success. There are multiple steps you can take and resources you can access to put them on a trajectory for success even before they start attending elementary school.  If you’re eager to see your child succeed so they can get a good job and support themselves and their future families, take note of the following advice: 

Set Aside Money for Education

In an ideal world, education at all stages of our lives would be free, but that’s not the reality. Still, you can ensure finances aren’t a barrier by setting money aside for education early on. For example, you can put money into a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) that helps you save for a child’s post-secondary education. There are many advantages associated with a RESP, like being tax-deferred and being able to use the funds for tuition and other education-related costs. 

Build a Strong Foundation for Education Early

You don’t have to wait until your child goes off to school before you open them up to the world of education. It can start while they’re at home. Read to them to encourage critical thinking, a broader vocabulary, and imagination. You can also introduce problem-solving early through puzzles, building sets, and strategy games.

Be Involved

Children don’t always communicate with their parents about how they’re doing in school. This can be especially true as they enter their teenage years. However, by being involved, you can improve your chances of knowing when your children need help.

For example, if you know that your teen isn’t doing well in a subject like mathematics even though they want a math-related career, you can set up tutoring opportunities. Alternatively, if you know that your teen is thriving in mathematics, you could explore advanced learning opportunities beyond traditional schooling. 

Encourage Career Awareness

Many teenagers only start thinking about what they want to do with their lives when they reach the end of their secondary schooling years. However, exploring careers can begin much earlier when you encourage career awareness. 

This can involve exposing your children to different careers through books, documentaries, conversations, and real-life interactions. It can also mean helping them find opportunities like volunteering and internships. 

Build a Strong Support System

While your child should always feel as though their career paths are their own to choose, it doesn’t hurt for them to have a strong support system they can rely on. Help them build it with people who will assist them through their education and career growth. 

These people can include family members, friends with similar life aspirations, teachers, and mentors. It can also be crucial to create an environment in which your child feels safe to ask questions and express their ideas. 

Setting your child up for educational and career success can begin from the moment they’re born. Start saving for their post-secondary education, support them as they set and achieve goals, and be involved as they discover their interests and determine the type of career they want to have.